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Abstract

Stopover sites in the Lower Chesapeake Bay region, used in autumn by passerine birds that migrate nocturnally, are being identified from radar images (WSR-88D/NEXRAD, Wakefield, V A, and NPOL, a higher resolution radar installed at Oyster, V A). Radar images from the hour after sunset 'capture' birds as they leave stopover sites to resume their migration. Exit locations (exodus signatures) are being mapped, and then summed across the season to identify sites that receive high or consistent use. Field surveys on the Lower Delmarva Peninsula provide independent estimates of the spatial and temporal distribution of migrants, ground-truthing the radar results. Vegetation characteristics of available habitats were sampled, and the relationship of migrant distribution and abundance with habitat and landscape characteristics will be modeled. Project results will aid in the evaluation of radar as a tool for identifying important stopover sites and tracking bird migration patterns, and provide direct input to habitat conservation programs

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